The​Flow…

So, you got a book that you're relatively proud of. Friends and family seem to like it. You go out of your way to self-publish: hunting down a designer, editor, distributor, and printer. You design and pay for business cards, a website, and other marketing material. You establish yourself as a publisher, get your DBA, and secure ISBNS. Then you're like, "Who is even going to know my name or care about my book?" And the fretting begins...

Since you are a self-publisher, you find out that you have to be your own publicist too if you're ever going to get your name out there. That means, you have to book your own "gigs" at libraries, schools, book, and toy stores. You realize that you have to supply your book to local libraries for free. During your "down time", you make arrangements to set up booths at fairs and farmer's markets (selling your stuff for 1/2 price at least). You think about doing readings in other cities, and even land a sale for a few books in a random store in the next state over.

Then taxes come and you realize that you have been paying out more than you have made, and you wonder how long that will last. You understand that you are a newbie, and still need to climb the ladder to reap even an inkling of what you've sowed. Suddenly the idea of being your own publicist seems like a necessity, but will it really help?

I myself don't mind doing all that publicity stuff, but I really can't my head around all the new technology. I don't want to learn more about how to use social media to my benefit, much less master it. I guess I'm old-fashioned that way.

Everyone says I'll get burned if I don't get with the times. It's just that, computers and the constant learning curve just triggers me; it gets me pissed of, to be honest. And when I'm in a ka-ka mood, I can't write children's literature with a pure, childlike heart! That is when I feel like writing blog posts complaining about having to delve into social media in order to get noticed. Thank goodness I know how to assimilate into FB, and have the where-with-all to always carry my phone around so that I can capture any spontaneous photo ops.

So, yeah, I need to put myself out there more. And I will try, I really will. But to make it a job? I can't do that. If I could do that, I might as well be working in an office like I used to instead of doing what I like the most...writing.